[jerryb150]

I just moved into a house and the master bedroom has five outlets, one each on three of the walls and two on the last wall. The top of each outlet does not work but the bottom does. At the entry to the room are two three way switches and a dimmer switch. Across the room is a three way switch. I have tried multiple combinations using lamps to try to figure out what will make the outlets work. There is also a ceiling fan in the room which turns on with the pull chain but is not controlled by any of the switches.
Is there some type of device I can purchase to figure this out?

[ballengerb1]

You can buy equipment to trace a line but it is not cost effective for a home owner. Your outlets sound like they are split, hot in one receptacle and the other is controlled by one of those many switches. How do you know those switches by the dimmer are 3 way? The dimmer may control the fan. Is it a rotary dimmer or a slide with 3 steps to it?

[jerryb150]

The switches at the door and across the room have no on/off indication and have black, white and red wires coming in to each. The dimmer is rotary, no push on/off just turn. The fan comes on with the pull chain but none of the switches or the dimmer will affect it. Each of the outlets has red, black, and white wires coming in to them. The tabs on the side gold side are still connected. I understand that with split outlets the tabs should be removed to allow the switch to control the outlet. If the tabs are still in place would this eliminate power from the top receptacle? If I could figure out where the power comes from and which outlets it goes to I would be able to solve my problem.

[ballengerb1]

Switches with no ON/OFF are three way switches so more than one switch can control a single fixture or outlet. The red wire at the outlet is most likely the traveler from a 3 way switch, the outlet can get power from the black or the red depending on which switch is thrown. Tabs connected means both receptacles in an out are getting power at the same time from the same source. Rotary switches are not supposed to be used with a fan but who knows what the previous owner did to his house and wiring, can never make assumptions on home wiring, too many folks fool around where they should not.

[hkstroud]

Sounds like a rather unusual wiring arrangement. First 3-way switches work in pairs. If you have two by the entry you should have two more some where else. What does the dimmer switch do? It could be a 3-way but I would think it would have to push to click on. When you turn it do you feel a click as if it is turning on. Rather unusual to have the top half of all of the outlets in the room controlled by a switch but could be.

Could be the outlets are split and the top half on a different circuit sharing the neutral. Pull the switches and tell us how they are wired.

[ballengerb1]

Don't forget Harold, 3 ways are in pairs MOST of the time but there can be 3, 4,5 switches all controlling the same fixture via 3 way switches

[Stratmando]

A customer just had me wire a 3 way switch at the bedroom door, and a 3 and 4 way on each side of the bed to half of the outlet to control lamps. I could see the 2 ways controlling half of the outlets. The other 3 way could be for outside floods?
What do your other 3 ways in the house do?

[hkstroud]

But Strat, two 3-ways side by side (I assume two 3-ways and a dimmer in a 3 gang box).

[Stratmando]

HK,
The second three way in the box, could be for outside lights, hall, or something
The three ways across from each other may control half of the receptacle.